There is a stage of change that often gets overlooked.
It’s not the stage where you’re fully consistent.
It’s not the stage where people can clearly see your progress from the outside.
It’s the stage where you begin getting ready.
And yes, getting ready counts.
👉 In the Stages of Change model, this is called Preparation.
This is the stage where you’ve moved from:
“I might want to change…”
to
“I think I’m ready to do something about this.”
That shift matters.
👉 What the preparation stage looks like
You might be in this stage if you’ve started saying things like:
-
“I’m ready to take a small step.”
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“I don’t want to keep doing this the same way.”
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“I need support.”
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“I’m not fully there yet, but I’m closer.”
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“I want to make this realistic this time.”
This is where change begins to become more concrete.
You may start gathering information, clearing space in your schedule, looking for resources, talking to someone you trust, or deciding what kind of support would help.
That is not procrastination.
That is preparation.
👉 Why this stage is so important
A lot of people try to jump straight from contemplation into full action.
They go from:
“I should probably change this…”
to
“Starting Monday, I’m changing everything.”
And sometimes that works for a few days.
But then real life happens.
Stress shows up.
Old patterns kick in.
The plan is too big.
And suddenly they think, “See? I failed again.”
But often, they didn’t fail because they were incapable.
They struggled because they skipped preparation.
Preparation is where you build the bridge between desire and follow-through.
It helps you answer the questions that make action more sustainable:
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What exactly am I changing?
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Why does this matter to me?
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What is one small step I can actually take?
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What might get in the way?
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What support do I need?
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What will I do if I have a hard day?
When you answer those questions ahead of time, action becomes less overwhelming.
👉 Preparation is not perfection
This stage is not about designing the perfect plan.
It’s about creating enough structure to begin.
A preparation plan should feel clear, simple, and doable.
Not punishing.
Built around your real life.
Because the best plan is not the one that sounds impressive.
It’s the one you can actually follow when you’re tired, busy, stressed, or uncertain.
👉 A preparation-stage plan might sound like:
“I’m going to walk for 10 minutes after lunch on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ll put my shoes by the door and schedule it on my calendar.”
That may not sound as impressive.
But it is much more likely to happen.
And happening matters.
Small, repeated action builds trust with yourself.
✨ Try this: The Preparation Plan
Pick one change you’re ready to start preparing for.
Then answer these five questions:
- What is the specific change I want to make?
- Why does this matter to me now?
- What is one small step I can take this week?
- What could get in the way?
- What support, reminder, or structure would make this easier?
That’s it.
No life overhaul.
No pressure to become a new person overnight.
Just a clear next step.
👉 Because preparation is where change becomes possible.
And when you prepare with compassion and honesty, action becomes much less intimidating.
In the next article, we’ll talk about the stage most people think of when they hear the word “change”: Action.
That’s where the new behavior begins, but as you’re learning, action works best when you’ve built the readiness first.